This is an authentic 1930s-style OM guitar and like its Dreadnought counterpart, has great vintage mojo, but it also offers that sweetness and balance you want from a really good mid-sized guitar.

It features a solid spruce top with scalloped top bracing and a host of other golden era appointments but unlike the dreadnought version its curvy waist means it sits low on your lap with a very comfortable playing height when seated.

And on a strap the smaller body and reduced depth means it sits nice and close to your body.

This one has a pretty low action: Ideally suited to a whole host of playing styles, from strumming or flatpicking through to fingerstyle.

It's little wonder that the original OMs or Orchestra Models are SO highly prized for their versatility and I can only congratulate Tanglewood for making such a good modern version of a real classic.

Now let's take a closer look at this Tanglewood Sundance Historic Series guitar and see what it's all about.

The TW40 O has the same mid-sized body as the original 1930s triple Os, but with the longer (dreadnought) scale length - this makes it an Orchestra Model or OM.

That longer scale length also delivers more energy from the strings to the top, producing more tone and more volume.

And like the original OM, this Tanglewood has scalloped bracing, allowing the top to move more freely and requiring less energy from the strings to drive it... it's all really good news for guitarists, especially those who mix their playing styles.

I know we go on about it, but you've got to remember that these solid spruce tops are going to deliver more tone, more warmth and more volume as you play them in.

They start out great and they only get better. I bet you wish your car did that!

Michael Sanden is a Master Luthier from Sweden and one of the most respected guitar makers on the planet and the man that oversees the design of these Tanglewood instruments.

You know it really shows!

Every little detail has been carefully considered: The slightly wider neck (44.5mm or an inch and three quarters at the nut), the thickness of the top... the guy is top of the tree when it comes to acoustic guitar design and this means you get an instrument way beyond what you'd expect at this price.

I think that in the past you bought one guitar for strumming and one for fingerstyle, but this OM does both.

The back and sides of this Tanglewood Sundance Historic Series guitar are a warm-sounding mahogany and it's finished in a natural gloss. The solid top has an aged toner which adds to its authentic vibe, the nut and bridge pins are hard ABS and the bone saddle has been compensated, so the intonation is good too.

This OM comes fitted with a set of Elixir Nanoweb 12 to 53 gauge strings, which certainly feel easy for fingerstyle, but you may want to experiment with other string sets: We always have plenty of great string brands, types and gauges in stock here at Musician's Warehouse as well as bags, cases, accessories... you name it.